


Two Night Stand

by DreamerFae



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:07:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22064512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamerFae/pseuds/DreamerFae
Summary: Touka woke up naked in a house belonging to a stranger named Haise and found herself stuck with him for the next 24 hours due to a snowstorm. How will they spend the time?
Relationships: Kaneki Ken | Sasaki Haise/Kirishima Touka
Comments: 5
Kudos: 42





	Two Night Stand

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING MATURE THEMES. NO SMUT, BUT IMPLIED! READ AT YOUR RISK / IF YOU'RE ABOVE 18! Do leave a comment if you enjoyed it :)

Waking up with a groan, Haise rose from the bed and winced as his eyes tried to adjust to the brightness of his room. It was only morning and his head hurt like hell. He felt some rustling of the bedsheets and blankets and looked to his side. What the..?

A woman with violet hair, bangs covering one side of her face sat up in bed and stared at him with equal shock.

"Who the hell are you?" She asked.

"Uh—"

From her naked shoulders, his eyes strayed down to her exposed torso. He quickly tossed the blanket at her, face flushed red. "First, cover up!" He exclaimed, trying his best to exercise his gentleman trait and looked away.

She didn't catch the blanket in time and it hit her head. "What the?!" Looking down at her naked body, realization struck her that she was completely naked in a stranger's bed and he was just trying to be considerate, not rude. Cheeks burning, she wrapped herself with the blanket and looked around the room to find her clothes strewn all over the floor.

Touka raised her head and caught a glimpse of his backside as he pulled up his banana boxers. She stifled a giggle at the ridiculous design and couldn't help but let out her thoughts. "That's a silly design for underwear."

He looked at her with shock and astonishment. "Don't laugh! This boxer with bananas is my favorite design!"

The woman laughed and he could only stand there and burn in embarrassment because she was making fun of his boxers. The laughter finally ceased and then a loud rumble filled the room. The female flushed, hands going to rest over her stomach.

It was his turn to laugh and she reacted by throwing a pillow angrily at him. Even so, he laughed until his tears fell.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Sasaki Haise. What's your name?" He leaned over and put out his hand.

Cheeks blushing, she shook his hand. "Kirishima Touka."

What was this situation? They were shaking hands and introducing themselves when they were both partially or fully naked. Touka wanted to laugh.

He put on his pants and shirt. "Let's get changed and have some lunch. Then, we can talk, alright?"

Her stomach growled in agreement.

—

After putting their clothes in the washing machine and changing into a new set of clothes, Touka sat at the dining table with a hot cup of coffee in front of her. She noted the heavy snow outside the window and shivered. No wonder it was cold. Sipping her coffee, she sighed, grateful how a warm beverage, plus a painkiller, brought her back to life.

"Is omelet rice okay for you?" He asked.

"Yeah."

Touka watched how he cooked from behind and marveled at the broad shoulders he had. He must work out a lot to get those wide shoulders and biceps. It was slight, but they strained against his white shirt and she snapped out of her trance when he walked towards her with 2 plates of rice and put it down on the table.

They ate in awkward silence. Putting the dishes away once they were done, they sat facing one another.

"Okay. Let's take some time to remember what happened last night to lead to what's happening right now." Haise said.

-Flashback-

Haise winced at the loud music in the nightclub and the moving rainbow spotlights that blinded his eyes. Everywhere he walked, there were people dancing, shouting and laughing. He questioned his decision in following his best friend to this shady place, where he could be at home right now reading a good book with a good cup of coffee.

As Hide had quoted, "You work too much, Haise! You need to get out and get a life! Get a girl or two!"

Not wanting to dance nor socialize with anyone, he ended up sitting at the bar alone while Hide went somewhere with a blonde-haired woman. He ordered a whiskey and sighed heavily as he stared down at his drink, thinking of excuses to give Hide so he could go home.

"Party pooper much? Everyone's out there having fun while you're sighing here."

He turned to the lady beside him and squinted his eyes to observe her features. He couldn't tell what color her hair and eyes were from the dark environment, but he knew they were dark. Her bangs covered one side of her face and she had the most amused look in her eyes.

Despite being the absolute gentleman in every way, he was in no mood for games.

"Says the one who's sitting at the bar alone. What's a pretty girl like you doing alone?" He asked, sipping his drink.

She laughed—a sound too soft because of the booming music. "Touché. My friend dragged me here without my consent so here I am, alone. Would the lonely gentleman treat me to a drink?" Her eyes narrowed seductively.

One end of his lips quirked. He knew she was flirting with him and bought her a drink anyway. Her eyes watched how she put her pink lips to the glass and drank, the drink going down her slim throat. "Name's Touka, what's yours?"

"Haise."

The rest was history, as they got completely drunk, took a cab back to his house and slept with one another drunkenly.

-Flashback Over-

Their faces paled as the memory returned to them and they bowed their heads in embarrassment.

"I shouldn't have drunk that much alcohol. I don't know what happened to me that night. I rarely even drink." Touka groaned.

Haise sighed. "Me neither... so we actually did it? A one night stand?"

She hesitated. "..I don't remember a thing."

"Me neither."

Silence filled them and Touka shifted uncomfortably because she just lied to his face. The truth is, she just remembered the sex they had last night, but only vaguely. They were in bed, and she recalled him being atop her, his cheeks red, face twisting in pleasure as he moved above her. She couldn't remember whether the sex was good or anything else for that matter until she woke up in his bed this morning.

"Well, this is awkward. Can we just put this behind us and pretend nothing happened? It was just one night, no commitment or anything right?" Touka asked nervously.

"Y-yeah, we should."

Another beat of silence fell over them.

Touka stood up and grabbed her clothes. "Alright, it was nice meeting you and I should be going now."

"Ah sure." Haise stood up as well, guiding her to his main entrance and opened the door for her like a gentleman. He smiled. "See you."

She smiled and thanked him before stepping out. The door closed behind her and she shivered at the cold air. Putting on her coat, she left the building and found herself stopping because the snow from the previous night piled up too high until it reached her knees.

She noticed how weird it was when there wasn't a single car nor bus moving on the streets and no one was outside. The wind was blowing too strongly, with the snow falling against her face and she sneezed. It's too cold!

Suddenly, she heard Haise calling for her from behind.

"Wait! It's a snowstorm outside! The news said transport isn't working! You need to come back inside and see the news!" Haise panted.

The door shut behind them and they ran to the living room, where the television was announcing that the snowstorm was expected to last for the whole of today and if things become better, transport will be resumed the next morning. Thankfully, it was only Saturday and they didn't have work.

Touka fidgeted and felt weird to ask a stranger—whom she had slept with—for a favor and found it difficult to meet his eyes. "..do you mind letting me stay at your house at least until the snow lets up?"

She didn't expect his face to brighten, and a grin to grace his lips. "Sure! It's been since I've had someone else over at my house. I'm so excited!"

"R-right... do you think I could get a shower first? I... feel sticky." She trailed off, cheeks burning.

Realizing why she was sticky, his cheeks warmed. The previous night, they had done unspeakable things. "Y-yeah, sure. I'll grab a towel and guide you to the bathroom."

—

Feeling refreshed after a warm bath, she sighed in relief and wrapped her hair up in a towel. She noticed Haise sitting on his bed awkwardly and nudged him. "You should take a bath too."

"Um sure, you can watch some television if you're bored. I have books also if you're into reading. I'll be back real quick!"

He grabbed his clothes and disappeared into the toilet. She found herself chuckling. He was acting so nervous in front of someone he had already slept with. Well, she couldn't blame him, it was weird for a night stand relationship to be extended. It usually just ends with one night, hence the term 'one-night stand'.

But since they were going to be stuck with each other for another day, she thought why not just try getting along with him? It's better than ignoring each other for the whole day.

—

"So um, do you have anything we can do to kill the time? You know since we're stuck until the transport is back up?" Touka asked, shoving her hands into the pockets of the sweatpants that he lent her. His clothes looked oversized on her but she couldn't complain, it was the only clothes available.

Haise pondered. "Well... I have a pool table, a Wii and XBOX console, a foosball table and some movies we can watch. Which do you want to do first?"

She stared jaw open, dumbfounded at what he had just said. "Excuse me? Aside from the movies and Wii and Xbox, why do you have a foosball and pool table? Your place feels like an arcade.."

He laughed, a sweet melody to her ears. "My best friend always comes over to my house and he likes these games so I bought them so we can play whenever he was over. We split the money anyways. Personally, I just read my books. So which one?" He looked expectantly at her for her answer.

"You rich as hell." She mumbled and his eyes crinkled at her comment. "Let's play Xbox and Wii?"

"Okay."

—

Touka looked through the selection of games; soccer, music, simulation, mystery, horror and chose fighting. Settling beside each other on the couch, she crossed her legs and leaned forward.

"Alright, I'll win this!" She exclaimed and they proceeded to battle it out with their chosen characters.

Haise found himself extremely amused at how she was so engrossed in the game and still can make lots of reaction while she was still playing, like 'shit' or 'no' or 'damn' or 'you're going down'. Despite all the sounds that come out of her, she still lost all 3 rounds against him.

She glared at him at the end and he shrugged—trying to hide his amusement. "I play these all the time, what do you expect? Do you want me to go easy on you?"

At his suggestion, her eyes hardened and she searched through the other games. "Let's play another game. I don't believe I can't beat you in any of the others!"

With what pretty appearance she had on the outside, he was surprised to find that she had a competitive trait inside. He rarely saw that in a woman and he was very interested to find out more about this woman whom he was going to spend the remaining day with.

Touka sighed heavily and dropped herself against the couch. She wanted to melt into the couch and never surface again. "I can't believe I lost all of the games! There's a limit to how good you can be at games!" She groaned.

He laughed. "I told you I can go easy on you but you didn't want me to."

She punched his arm. "No! I hate it when people do that! It's like they're looking down on me!"

"Then don't complain~"

Deep down, he wondered why he was acting so friendly and open with her. Was it because they were stuck together or because they had already slept together? Either way, even though they were just strangers and not a couple, he felt more comfortable with her than he did with actual girlfriends in the past—where he had to hold back his thoughts and words—despite knowing each other for only one night plus a few hours.

"Next game. Pool."

—

"So uh, tell me, Touka. Why were you at the night club that night?" Haise asked, adjusting all of the balls into the middle of the pool table before hitting them, making them spread all over the table.

Touka's eyes traced how he leaned over, positioned the stick in his hands and shot the ball into the hole with extreme accuracy and speed. "Well... I had just broken up with my boyfriend of 2 years and was feeling down. My friend brought me out to cheer me up."

"..sorry to hear that. Did you have fun?"

"Don't be. It isn't your fault that we broke up. He cheated on me, so I broke up with him. And yes, I had fun, thanks to you."

His smile didn't reach his eyes as he focused on the earlier part of her reply. Her boyfriend cheated on her. "..do you want to talk about your ex-boyfriend? I mean, we're stuck together for the next 24 hours, so the least I can do is lend a listening ear."

She smiled sadly. "Thanks, maybe at a later time."

He nodded and changed the topic. "Shall we do a quiz? We'll each state a topic or question and we answer at the same time. That way, we can get to know each other better."

Touka shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

He was 27, she was 26. He liked romance movies, while she liked action and horror. His favorite food is omelet rice and hers is beef rice bowl. He is an insurance agent and she is a physiotherapist. His hobbies were reading and cooking, her hobbies were listening to hard metal music and doing sports.

They exchanged playful talks over what they liked and disliked and all too soon, the pool game was over, leaving Touka pissed and unsatisfied.

"Why?!!!" She exclaimed and groaned. "I'm losing to you every time!!!"

Haise laughed. "I've been watching how you played for this game and now I know what are your faults. Let's play again, I'll teach you."

She sighed. "Fine..."

After setting the balls in the triangle in the middle, Touka took her stick and stared at him. "First, show me how you lean over to shoot the balls." He instructed and tried not to check out her butt as she leaned over and focused on her form.

Touka felt his body mold over hers, his hand taking her arm to properly position it the right angle and way, and his breath was warm in her ear. "Your arm needs to be further from your head and your fingers should be like this." His hand covered hers, forming it to the position that guaranteed a win but somehow she could only think about how his body felt comfortably against hers and how warm it was.

Together, they used the stick to hit the ball and Touka watched as it went into the hole. Standing up straight, she turned to him who had a huge grin on his face. "You did it!"

She found herself smiling as well and had a huge urge to tease him. "Don't tell me you purposely taught me that way just so you can feel me up?"

He blinked, and a full-blown blush formed on his cheeks and even his ears. "No! I just—I had good intentions! You saw how the ball went in!

She laughed and he stared, mesmerized at her laughter. Wiping her tears away, she shoved him playfully with a grin. "I'm just joking, don't be so serious about it."

"Why would I need to feel you up when we've already done it last night..." he looked away, murmuring.

Now, she flushed. A sudden image of him reaching for her flashed in her mind. "You remembered what happened last night?"

His eyes widened. "No, I still don't remember. Do you?"

"..a little bit."

He started toward her, curious. "What do you remember?"

She flushed. "Don't ask me."

"Why? I want to know because I don't remember anything."

"It's embarrassing..."

"Just tell me."

She fidgeted. "I only remember how you were atop me and your naked chest, okay?!"

He came close to her and cupped her cheek. He had a beautiful pair of grey eyes that were hidden under his long eyelashes. "You're cute when you're shy."

The once friendly atmosphere changed into an intimately charged one. They were two adults, man, and woman, alone in the house, standing so close to one another that they could feel each other's body heat.

Her heart raced in her chest as she looked up at his handsome face and turned away. Why the hell was she having thoughts about this man being handsome when she's only known him for a night? She had just broken up with her boyfriend of 2 years for god's sake!

Haise's lips parted and the hand that was on her cheek moved to rest on his nape. "S-sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

"..It's fine. Let's continue with the game."

—

Despite getting better at each game they played, Touka still couldn't win him, not because of her skills—she actually was a quick learner—but because she was too distracted by what had happened between them earlier.

She tried so hard to forget his touch but she couldn't remember the last time her ex-boyfriend had touched so gently and gazed at her that way, as Haise did. Tears brimmed in her eyes and she blinked them away.

Haise stared down at his hand and remembered how her skin flushed pink when he touched her. Thinking back, he could sense that she was thinking about the same thing he was and can't help but want to fill in the gaps of what happened between them in bed the previous night.

—

They ignored what transpired between them and continued playing games and chatting with each other as if they had been friends for 10 years. The inexistence of awkward moments made it feel like they didn't just meet the previous night.

Even over dinner, Touka felt herself slowly opening to Haise even though she normally didn't hit it off that well with strangers. Having shared one night and half the day with him, she felt comfortable with him and spoke to him like she would with her best friend. For the first time in ages, she felt happy that she was able to have someone other than Yoriko to speak with so frankly and comfortably with.

But even if she felt that way with Haise, spilling every detail about her life with him, she was careful to not touch on the topic of her ex-boyfriend because she didn't think she was ready to talk about it.

After dinner, they decided to watch movies.

"What? No! I don't want a romance movie! What's so interesting about them? There's no action, nothing! I want to watch an action movie!" Touka exclaimed.

Haise gasped in shock, astonished and offended by her comment about his favorite movie genre. "Excuse me!! Romance movies are interesting! They always start off with the 2 parties being strangers, slowly getting to know each other until the climax hits them when they finally realized that they love one another! That's the romantic and interesting part! How dare you say there's nothing interesting about it! You're just saying that 'cause you've never watched one!"

She scoffed. "I've watched one and I didn't like it. Romance movies are for babies and those who want to see happily ever after that won't happen in reality."

Silence filled the air as she cursed herself for speaking more than necessary. Her words were obviously directed to her own relationship which didn't end well.

Thankfully, he didn't ask about the reason she said those words and suggested, "how about this? I'll watch with an action movie with you, and you'll watch a romance movie with me. That way, it'll be fair for both of us. Good?"

"..okay," Touka shrugged, not completely happy with his suggestion but didn't argue.

—

The action movie was dusted and done, with a huge grin appearing on Touka's face when he told her he enjoyed it. The next was a romance movie. It was only until it ended with a happy ending (thankfully) and he turned it off that he saw how she had her head down in the knees she pulled up.

Worried, he shook her. "Are you okay?"

She looked at him for a second, where he saw the tears in her eyes and she ran to the kitchen to get a cup of water. "I'm fine."

Though her back was toward him and trying to hold her sounds in, he could tell that she was shaking from her crying. Immense regret filled him as he realized he shouldn't have insisted on a romance movie when she had just broken up with her boyfriend. He was horribly tactless.

He walked towards her and gently tugged her so she faced him. Cupping her cheek, he tilted it so they met eyes. "Hey... if this is about the movie, I'm sorry I chose a show that you didn't enjoy. If this is about your ex-boyfriend...I'm here if you want to talk..."

Her lips trembled as more tears fell down her lovely blue eyes. "It's just...I used to believe in happy endings, where a relationship led to a wedding and happily ever after. I was really expecting Haruki to propose to me since we've been dating for quite some time. But I knew something was up when he started distancing himself from me and how he always postponed our dates, saying that he had work... I should have seen it coming but I believed in him. When I saw him at his home fucking another woman, it became clear that he had been cheating on me with her for a long time now. I broke up with him because I didn't think I could take any more of that."

Haise wiped her falling tears and his heart ached for her. No one deserved to see their loved one cheating with their own eyes. His mind could only come up with one sentence.

"If I were your boyfriend, I would never make you cry."

She stared up at him with wide eyes and he stepped back after realizing that he had just said his inner thoughts out loud. He dropped his hands to his sides and panicked. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't—"

The ends of her lips turned up into a smile and she wiped a stray tear. "You're a nice person, aren't you? Thank you for saying that. I appreciate it, even though you may not mean it."

"That's not—I do mean those words!"

She only smiled in response and he knew she didn't believe him.

"Can I then take advantage of your kindness and ask you for a favor?"

"As long as it's within my abilities, I will do it."

He was willing to do anything to help her. He just didn't want to see her miserable anymore. Anything to make her stop crying.

"Kiss me."

He hesitated before cupping her cheek and leaning forward until his bangs tickled her face.

"..are you sure?"

She nodded. "Please."

His arms came around her in an embrace and her heart raced in her chest. His lips rested gently on hers and her eyes fluttered shut. Parting her lips slightly, she allowed him to deepen their kiss but he didn't. He never ventured into her mouth, only gently sucking on her lips.

Caressing his cheek, Touka smiled. "You're sweet."

"Why do you say that?" He asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Because you didn't do anything I didn't want. Even if I gave my permission, you didn't give it to me. I wanted to ask you to give me hard and hot sex, but I'm sure you wouldn't give it to me, would you?" She joked.

His cheeks flushed red. "No, I wouldn't. No woman deserves to get that, especially not you, because you don't deserve just sex, you deserve making love with feelings. I mean... unless the woman has specific hobbies in bed..." he trailed off.

"Are you just saying that because I broke up with my boyfriend?"

"No. I'm saying because it's you."

His words warmed her. She wished she could have met him before Haruki. He seemed like a good man who would take care of her. But then again, Haruki seemed that man at that time. People change over time.

"Then, would you give it to me? Make love to me, with feelings?"

He hesitated. "I...I don't think I should even if you asked. It's not the right gentlemanly thing to do as your feelings are not in order after a breakup... You're upset and you're making decisions that you may regret after."

She rested her head on his chest. "I promise you I won't regret it. Please."

He swallowed and seemed to struggle with his feelings for a while before taking her hand into his. "Let's go to my room."

— After —

Pulling Touka into his arms, Haise pressed a kiss to her sweaty forehead and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.

His sweet gesture and words brought tears to her eyes and he immediately panicked. "I'm sorry! I didn't know I was that bad in bed, did it hurt—"

She held his hand to her cheek and smiled. "You were great. It was everything I dreamt of. I feel so happy that you touched me so gently as if I was beautiful and worth it."

His gaze softened. "That's because you are. You deserve better than Haruki."

A sad smile formed on her face. "I guess that's true. Can I ask you for another favor? I promise it isn't that bad."

"What is it?"

"For the remaining time until I leave, will you treat me as your real girlfriend? I just want to be feel loved..."

Haise couldn't refuse the sorrow and loneliness in her eyes and kissed her. "And love you shall get... I accept your request."

\--

"I'm sure a handsome guy like you have had girlfriends before. Tell me about them." Touka said, fingers tracing circles on his chest.

"I'm not handsome—"

Touka laughed. "Don't lie! You are!"

He grinned, happy that he made her laugh. She seems happier now. "Alright, in your eyes, I am, but believe it or not, I've only ever had 2 girlfriends."

"No way! Why?"

Haise shrugged. "I was busy with work previously and had no time for relationships."

"Did you love them?"

She was holding her breath for his answer.

"I would like to think I did. But in the end, when we broke up, strangely I didn't feel sad that it was over. Maybe I didn't love them as much as I thought. Thinking back, I should have spent more time with them. Maybe then, the relationship would have worked out. But it's too late to have regrets now anyway."

It was his words but Touka could see the sadness in his eyes. He probably said it to hide his feelings and make her feel better. She wouldn't have touched on this topic if she knew how sad it would make him. Her heart ached, and she didn't like seeing him unhappy.

She raised herself so he was beneath her, his wide eyes staring up at her, and she moved to kiss him. His arms wrapped around her waist as he kissed the column of her neck, making her sigh and she hoped that this would be enough to make him forget, just as he had made her forget about her sadness when they made love earlier on.

The first time they did it, it was filled with only warmth and gentleness. This second time, it felt raw and emotional, as if they were pouring out all of their sadness and feelings.

When it was all over, Haise frowned at the sweat that fell down his temples and turned to her. "I think I need a shower."

Touka sighed with a smile. "I do too."

Jumping out of bed, he pulled up his boxers and rushed over to catch her before she toppled to the floor with her wobbly legs. Grabbing his body tightly, she gave him an embarrassed smile. "I should have known that I won't be able to walk properly right after."

He grinned, showing his white teeth. "I'll help you to the bathroom. Do you need to put on your underwear?"

She glanced over at her underwear scattered all over the floor and shook her head. "Nope, gonna take them off in the shower later anyways."

\--

After helping one another in washing hair and bodies, they settled comfortably into the bathtub with Touka's back against Haise's chest.

"..Do you feel better now? I mean, you seemed pretty sad when you talked about your ex-girlfriends." She asked, staring at the ripple of water in front of her.

He winced. "You noticed that? I was just trying to make sure my feelings didn't burden you, what with you having just broken up with your boyfriend."

Turning around, the water sloshed in the tub as she raised her hands to cup his cheeks. "You don't have to do that, you know. We've been together for the last 12 hours or so, and even seen each other naked already so I don't think there's much we can hide. Talk to me, just like how I confided in you."

He smiled and kissed her. "I will, thank you."

\--

Haise stared at the sleeping beauty in his bed wearing his clothes and pushed her bangs aside, only to be amused when it fell back down to cover her face. She had long eyelashes, a small nose, and tempting pink lips.

It isn't surprising at this point, because he must have realized it earlier on that within a span of 12 hours, he had fallen in love with Touka. It probably started when she woke up in his bed with bed hair and further strengthened when she told him about her breakup. From there, the strong urge of wanting to do anything to make her happy blossomed into feelings of love.

He felt that he could make her happy. Staring at her now, he saw a future with her. Them laughing together, cuddling on cold nights, sharing a bed, doing house chores together, a ring on her fourth finger, a wedding with loved ones, and children. Greedily, even though he knew she was suffering now, he wanted all of that with her.

He took a few more moments to carve her face into memory since she was leaving tomorrow before falling asleep himself.

\--

When it's time to leave the next morning, they stand at the door facing one another.

"Shall I send you to the train station?" Haise offered.

Touka smiled. "It's okay, I can walk. You've done so many things for me already. Thank you for your offer though."

Awkwardness filled the room now.

He struggled with whether he should tell her his feelings or not and decided it’s now or never. After this, he’ll probably never see her again. Gathering his courage, he closed his hands into fists and opened his mouth. “I like you, Touka. Will you be my girlfriend? For real? I know you still have feelings for Haruki but I’m willing to wait for as long as it takes. Even if you never stop loving him, I’m willing to be number 2 in your heart.”

He waited expectantly for her answer and her heart broke when she already knew what she was going to say to him. “I appreciate your feelings, Haise, but there was never going to be something that comes out of this two-night stand. Yes, I still love Haruki and you don’t deserve someone who can’t cherish you properly. You need to find someone who can love you 100% and I can’t be that person. I’m sorry.”

Haise deflated and forced a smile. “I-I understand. Then, I wish you all the best in everything you do. I hope the next time I see you somewhere, you’re happy. Thank you for the time we spent together. It was the most fun.”

The most fun I’ll probably have for the rest of my life.

She smiled. “Thank you. I had the most fun as well.”

Silence.

He stepped forward. "C-can I kiss you one last time? A goodbye kiss?"

"Okay."

Cupping her cheeks, he kissed her and took this moment to edge into his memory the softness and strawberry taste of her lips, and the warmth of her body against his. He swore to never forget this ever.

It was a bittersweet kiss and both knew that the moment they separated, it would mean the end of their relationship and that they would never see each other again.

They separated and he quickly pulled her into a hug. "A goodbye hug," he murmured as he squeezed her tight.

Despite not wanting it to end, Touka had to put an end to it. She felt extremely emotional that she had to leave someone who made her feel comfortable to be around with and she would cry if she stayed any longer. "Okay. Then, it's goodbye."

Haise watched her give him a last smile before closing the door behind her. He dropped onto the bed, looked at the indent on his bed that Touka left behind and smelt her scent on the pillow. His eyes tear up and he already misses her when not even 5 minutes has passed.

—

1 month has gone since they last saw one another and loneliness has been a constant companion despite having family and friends with them.

Everywhere Haise went, he would look out for a short violet haired woman with bangs covering the side of her face, but to no avail. He slept with his arms around the pillow that carried her fragrance which faded each time he inhaled.

He would walk around in his house and recall the moments he spent with her there. The pool table, the television, the dining table. He was grateful that these memories were the only thing that kept him from breaking down completely.

Often, he tried to forget about her and move on with his life as if they had never met, but he just couldn't, not when his feelings for her are still present in his soul. He could only pray that she's well and is happy now.

—

Dropping onto her couch, Touka stared directly at the wall and found herself thinking about Haise. She shook her head to distract herself but no matter how she tried to forget him, she just couldn't get him out of her mind. 

His kind, caring personality, his stupid jokes and smiles, and the warmth and comfort that his arms brought her. She had tried to form that same warmth by piling her bed with many pillows and hugging them, but she couldn't find the same warmth he gave her. She missed him with an ache that hurt her chest.

Her mind switched back to recall how Haruki had begged her to get back with him just a few days ago, stating that he couldn’t live without her and to give him another chance. At first, she loathed the idea as she didn’t want to get hurt again if he does something this time but then she just realized that this was her opportunity to find out whether she still truly loved him and he, with her.

But when he kissed her, she couldn’t feel the little tingles and butterflies in her tummy, as compared to the first time they kissed. Back then, she was elated and didn’t want it to end. But now, she felt nothing. Haruki used to kiss her so passionately but now the kiss didn’t feel like it had any feelings.

Haise appeared in her mind and she thought back to how he kissed her so gently as if he was trying to express his true feelings for her and he also kissed her so passionately as if he hadn’t seen her in a year and would die. That was the type of kiss she was looking for. Unfortunately, Haruki didn’t have that anymore.

For the remaining of their date, she didn’t have the excitement within her nor had the urge to continue it, as compared to what she used to have. Everything seemed dull and she must have been blindly in love to only realize now that Haruki is rude to shops’ employees—something she can’t overlook as she was once an F&B employee herself—and he only talks about himself in conversation. Haise was genuinely interested in what she had to say, unlike Haruki who brushed her off whenever she opened her mouth. He probably would be nice to employees as well.

In every way, Haise had won over Haruki and she was shocked that over the span of only 1 day, she had come to realize how good of a man Sasaki Haise was. Her eyes burned and heart raced. So the reason she felt so empty and lonely was that she loved Haise? It was why she could never forget about him and craved the warmth and comfort he gave her.

She ended her relationship with Haruki right then and there. Rushing to Haise’s house, she prayed she wasn’t too late.

—

Touka found herself at his doorstep once again and pressed the doorbell. Instead of Haise who opened it, a woman with long purple hair did. "Good afternoon, are you looking for someone?"

Her voice was shaky all of a sudden. This woman was so beautiful. What was her relationship with him if she was in his house? "I'm looking for Haise."

"Who's at the door, Rize—Touka..."

Haise's eyes widened before realizing how bad this situation looked to Touka. He was a half-naked man in the house—only in his long pants—with Rize—whom Touka does not know. Before she misunderstood, he needed to quickly clear her doubts.

Her face fell at the sight of both of them and she heard her heart breaking into pieces. She was too late, he had already moved on from her and had a beautiful long haired girlfriend. She cursed herself for not realizing her feelings for him earlier and came to see him earlier. Maybe then, she would actually have a chance to be with him. 

Tears brimming in her eyes, she needed to leave before she broke down. Stepping back, her voice shook, “I-i see what's going on here, I'm sorry to interrupt."

He quickly grabbed her arm to stop her and she saw the desperation in his eyes. “Wait, Touka, I can explain!”

Rize stepped in to save him. "I'm his ex-girlfriend and no, we're not dating."

He gave her a thankful look and the beautiful lady smiled back to him.

"T-then, why..?" She whispered.

"Come in, and I'll explain." He answered and they all went into the house.

After putting on a shirt and pouring tea for Touka, he settled on the chair opposite of both women and clasped his hands. "It's not what it looked like. I just showered and Rize here suddenly came over, which explains why I wasn't wearing a shirt and she was just visiting to give me something, right?"

Rize nodded. "I'm getting married so I came to invite him to my wedding."

"Yes she was—wait, you're getting married?!" He couldn't believe his ears and had to make sure.

Her brow went up. "Why? Is it that big of a surprise? You didn't think I'd get married, did you?" She teased.

"It's just... I thought you didn't like permanence and so I expected you not to get attached to someone for the rest of your life."

Rize sighed. "I met a man and he made me want to settle down. No offense, Haise. Our relationship was great but I guess we weren't fated to be together."

"No offense taken."

Rize slid a wedding invitation to him then turned to Touka. "You can come as his plus one also if you want. Now then, I've done what I came to do and I'm leaving."

Before she left, she leaned over Touka and whispered, "cherish him, he's boyfriend and husband material, if you ask me. Plus, he's great in bed."

Touka's cheeks warmed.

"Judging from that reaction, I see that you've already done it with him. Oh well, whatever it is between the two of you, I hope you guys fix it."

"Bye, Haise! See you at the wedding!"

The door closed and silence fell.

Touka felt so relieved when she heard that Haise didn’t move on from her and that she still had a chance. “Do you still remember what you said to me on the day I left?”

He blinked. “Of course. I asked you to be my girlfriend and that I was willing to wait for as long as it takes even if I had to be number 2 in your heart. I thought about it every day since you left and how I could have phrased it in a different way so that you’d say yes. In the end, I knew that no matter how I phrased it, I would still be rejected because you loved him...” He trailed off, the shine in his eyes disappearing into sadness.

“I dated Haruki again.”

He flinched at her sentence and braced himself for the good news. She was going to get back with the guy who cheated on her, or they were going to get married. He didn’t like both.

“And I broke up with him for the second time.”

“What—why?”

Haise looked down at Touka as she stepped toward with him and cupped his cheeks with a smile. “Because I realized I don’t love him anymore, but someone else. Haise... is it too late for me to change my answer to be your girlfriend from no to yes?”

Tears formed in his eyes and he shook his head. “It isn’t. What made you change your mind?”

“It was the way he kissed me. He didn’t love me anymore nor did I. The kiss had no feelings. I compared it to yours and you kissed me as if you truly loved me and that you would die if I didn’t love you back.”

He hid back his jealousy that Haruki got to kiss her and instead scratched his nape and laughed nervously. “You caught me. I loved you, and I guess that reflected in my kisses. I probably fell in love with you the moment you woke up in my bed looking ridiculous with your bed hair and your stomach growling like it hasn’t had food in a year.”

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I fell in love with you when I saw you put on your stupid banana boxers.”

He leaned his forehead against hers and grinned. “They’re nice, you know.”

“They’re silly.” She whispered, breath tickling his face.

Soon, their lips met passionately, and just when she thought their bodies couldn’t be any closer, he snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, so close that her breasts pressed up against his chest and her hips met his.

“Tell me why you love me.” She said.

Haise twirled a few strands of her hair with his fingers as he gazed into her eyes. “I love the way your hair falls all over your face when you sleep.”

“Are you insulting me? And is that it?” She frowned and also sounded disappointed.

“I am not insulting you and I find that cute. I’m not done either.” He caressed her cheeks.”I love the way your blue eyes shine like the stars at night.”

He poked her nose. “I love the way your cute little nose twitches when you're so done with me.”

He rubbed his thumb over her soft lips. “I love the way your lips curve into a smile when I tell you one of my jokes.”

“I love your competitive side, your emotional side, your sarcastic side, your playful side and everything else. I, Sasaki Haise, have fallen deeply in love with you and I don't regret it.”

Touka wanted to cry. He was so sweet. Her fears arose. “Will you promise to not cheat on me? I-i don’t think I can survive another cheating incident.”

Haise sensed that now was not the time for a joke. She was seriously telling him her insecurities and worries and he needed to reassure her. “I promise. I will never look at another woman except you. If I do, I give you permission to hit me.”

She laughed despite the seriousness and leaned on his chest. She felt so happy, warm and cherished in his arms and she believed that he would be the one to make her happy. “Oh, you bet I will. I'll dump your sorry ass too.”

— EXTRA —

Haise pouted. "You and Haruki kissed? I don't like that."

She giggled, sending flutters through him. "It was just so I can confirm how I felt about you and Haruki. Are you jealous?"

"I am. I demand compensation." He mumbled, nuzzling into her neck.

Touka grabbed his face and leaned in to kiss the cute, jealous man. "Is this enough, boyfriend?"

Leaning in close, he murmured, "I think I need more to make sure that was real..."

She laughed as he peppered kisses behind her ear lobes and down her neck, making it ticklish. "Haise, stop!"

—

1 year later, Haise proposed to her in a Ferris wheel and they got married 6 months after.

3 years later, Touka gave birth to a daughter named Ichika. Another 3 years later, a baby boy named Kou joined their family of three, making it a family of four.

Thinking back as she looked down at her two sleeping children and one sleeping husband, she never regretted her decision in becoming Haise’s girlfriend, for he did what he promised her; never to cheat on her, and to make her the happiest woman in the world.


End file.
